ABSTRACT

The aim of this research note is to take stock of existing knowledge on the topic of Business-to-Business (B-to-B) communication and to conceptualize the exchange of information between buyers and suppliers in a dynamic environment. The dynamic business environment is referring to new product ramp-ups. Ramp-up, defined as the period between the completion of development and a stabile serial production, is of high importance for the success of manufacturing companies. During ramp-up, product specification, production machinery, and the number of finished products change over time. It is assumed that improved B-to-B communication is beneficial to achieve a high ramp-up performance. For the purpose of this research note a systematic review of the literature is used to analyze the status quo of existing communication concepts in ramp-up management. The article conducts a content analysis of a sample of 86 subject-relevant articles from academic journals. These preliminary findings suggest that, although B-to-B communication plays a central role in the management of (ramp-up) dynamics, the stock of knowledge in this peculiar area is limited to few specific findings. Communication is often mentioned as relevant, but further guidance on details, e.g. communication channels, roles, behavior, or communication content, is lacking. This research note identifies research gaps in the B-to-B communication literature regarding buyer-supplier communication in dynamic business situations and proposes several directions for future research. Managers should acknowledge that B-to-B communication is repeatedly mentioned in the literature as a source for improving competitiveness. Proper communication in buyer-supplier relationships becomes more important but also more challenging in dynamic business environments. This research note is addressing dynamic business environments and is focusing the role of B-to-B communication in production ramp-ups. Knowledge on the topic is consolidated, e.g. influence factors on communication, what provides a number of implications for practice and future research.

摘要

本研究报告的目的是总结有关企业对企业（B2B）交流主题的现有知识，并在动态环境中概念化买卖双方之间的信息交换。动态的业务环境指的是新产品的量产。爬升（定义为完成开发和稳定的批量生产之间的时间段）对于制造公司的成功至关重要。在加速生产期间，产品规格，生产机械和成品数量会随着时间变化。假定改进的B-to-B通信有利于实现较高的斜升性能。出于本研究的目的，系统地回顾了文献，以分析现有的沟通概念在提升管理中的现状。本文对来自学术期刊的86篇与主题相关的文章进行了内容分析。这些初步发现表明，尽管B对B的交流在（加速）动态的管理中起着核心作用，但这一特殊领域中的知识储备仅限于很少的特定发现。人们经常提到交流是相关的，但是缺少关于细节的进一步指导，例如交流渠道，角色，行为或交流内容。本研究笔记指出了B-B交流文献中有关动态业务情况下买方与供应商之间交流的研究空白，并提出了未来研究的几个方向。管理人员应认识到，文献中多次提到企业对企业之间的沟通是提高竞争力的来源。在动态的商业环境中，买卖双方之间的正确沟通变得越来越重要，但也更具挑战性。这份研究报告着眼于动态的商业环境，并着重介绍了B-to-B通信在生产加速中的作用。巩固了有关该主题的知识，例如，影响交流的因素，这为实践和未来研究提供了许多启示。